Bobby J's

Bobby J’s said local fishing was good again this week although the red-hot bass bite is starting to slow and change a bit as the fish set up in their summertime spots. Water temperatures are climbing and they’ve been seeing anything from 70 to 74 degrees depending on where they happen to be fishing. Warmer water means fishing during the coolest parts of the day, or better said, at night. Both boat and shore anglers are reporting that there is good striper fishing to be had, almost exclusively with bait at night. Boaters are live lining and chunking and surfcasters are fishing chunks for fish from schoolies to 30 pounds. The area is loaded with bunker both inside the harbor and out along the beaches so making bait has been a breeze before you head out. There is a lack of local bluefish and other than the occasional bunker bit in half the blues have been absent. Anglers fishing in the New Haven area have been reporting they are into bluefish tight to bunker schools. Porgy fishing is lock and load and if you’re just looking to get out and bend a rod this is the bite for you. Just about any rock pile or jetty is loaded with scup and sandworms and clams have been working well. There were a handful of keeper fluke caught this week to 22 inches and any keeper sea bass they’d heard about were caught in deep water.

Bobby J’s said fishing was a lot like last week. They credited warm water and the mid-moon for the holding pattern but the lack of change wasn’t really a bad thing. Striped bass is the main species most customers are targeting and the fishing is good. Bass can be found from the river east to New Haven Harbor. They’d heard from customers who were catching fish on a variety of structures from areas around the river to deep water structure and from the beaches. If you’re out while the sun is up your best bet is to be fishing with live bunker. The one exception has been a trolled tube and worm. Topwater lures have been effective at low light periods and especially at daybreak. The nighttime bite has also been good with fish falling to soft plastics and chunks. Chunks are also working well fished at night along the beaches. There aren’t many bluefish in the area at the moment but they are sprinkled in amongst the stripers. Jason said the current ratio of bass to bluefish is 30 to one. Fluke fishing has slowed. It isn’t for lack of fish in the area – they’d heard from one boat who’d landed 60 flatfish in a day. Despite the volume of fish there was not a single keeper in that catch. Scup fishing is outstanding from both shore and boat. There are still lots of spot mixed in with the porgies as bycatch. The customers they’d talked to who have been targeting blackfish have been able to find their limits. There are some blue crabs around but word is you have to work for them if you’re going to try and make a meal.